Historical Factors Until the Time of Constantine Affecting the Church’s Appropriation of Israel’s Blessings

At the entrances of many Gothic cathedrals throughout Europe one may observe female statutes which are personifications of Ecclesia (the Church) and Synagoga (the Synagogue). One notices that Ecclesia wears a crown, looking straight ahead, holding her head in a triumphant pose. On the other hand, Synagoga, her head bowed, having lost her crown and holding a broken staff and wearing a blindfold, stands defeated and rejected.[1] These personifications symbolize the consensus perspective of the church from the middle of the second century A.D. until the present day, with few exceptions...